Books on my kitchen island

 

This is what my kitchen island looked like on New Year's Eve.  It did not look like this when I started this post, nor does it look like this now.  When I started this post there were a couple of bags of apples, a giant bag of oranges, a much taller stack of cookbooks, a Walkie-Talkie box, 2 empty plastic jugs, and two marshmellow sculptures on the island... among other things.  I cleaned it up again, so my husband had a place to put he took down in order to paint.  (You will notice the blue painter's tape on the walls.  The tape is now gone and a couple of coats have been applied to that particular wall and one and a half others.  The kitchen's been approximately 1/3 painted since New Year's Day.  Hopefully it will be finished by next New Year's Day.) So don't go getting any ideas that my kitchen island looks like this on a regular basis, because it doesn't... although I wish that it did and am continually working toward that goal.

Anyway, I thought I would start off my book tour with the books on my kitchen island.  I always have a stack of cookbooks on the island because the only other place to put books in the kitchen is on top of the cabinets.

   

I'm 5'2" on a good day.  If I have shoes on.  Keeping all my cookbooks on top of the cabinets is not convenient.  There is a skinny wall in the kitchen where we could put a bookcase... but in no way, shape, or form are most bookcases made to fit its quirky measurements.  Finally I've found a bookcase that will fit, but I haven't ordered it yet.  So the stack on the island remains for now.  And here's what's in that stack at this moment:

The 1997 Joy of Cooking -- A Christmas present from Andy several years ago, it sees almost daily use and has the stains and flour-dusted interior to prove it.  The binding is beginning to crack already. The recipes I use most often are for cobbler dough, pizza crust, pancakes, and crustless quiche. 

Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook) -- The leek and potato soup everyone loves uses the Potato Soup recipe from this cookbook as its base.  But possibly the reason the kids love the soup is because of the dumplings.

The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook -- I got this one down because I was looking for leek recipes. The leek and potato gratin is really good, although somewhat time consuming.  Also good -- the chocolate chip carrot cake.

Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery) -- The first cookbook I ever bought.  It was on a bargain table for $1.  I was 19 years old and had just moved into my first apartment.  My copy is well-loved.  In fact, I made a modified North African pizza recipe from this book for dinner last Sunday.  (Another favorite -- Hoppin' John. Chipmunk loves it.  Soy sauce is the secret, very non-traditional ingredient.)

The Vita-Mix owner's guide and cookbook

Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen -- I love Laurie Colwin's books, but I cannot read them without remembering her untimely death.  And so, whenever I get her books down, generally to make gingerbread, I always end up having a moment of terrible sadness.  My copy of this book is spattered with generous amounts of molasses.

The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking -- Still haven't made anything from this one.  It's all very interesting, but somewhat intimidating.  Particularly for a non-planner.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking -- Picked this one up with a Christmas gift card.  I made my first batch of dough last week, and I have to say -- it was really, really good.  Much less intimidating than Laurel's Kitchen, but also much less whole grain.  One day maybe I'll figure out this whole bread-baking thing.

I have more cookbooks, but that was what was in the current stack.  But!  I will hopefully be ordering that bookcase soon, and when I do -- actual dedicated shelves for cooking and gardening books!  In one convenient location! I will be a happy camper.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Mrs darling]

Oh I love cookbooks. I have about 200 of them but only about 12 do I use regularly. Love your kitchen!